Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office has filed lawsuits seeking to invalidate land tenders held in Ararat Province between 2005 and 2010, alleging abuse of official authority by former governors Alik Sargsyan and Vardges Hovakimyan, Factor.am reports.
According to prosecutors, between 2005 and 2008, approximately 1,480 hectares of environmentally designated land were leased to various individuals through allegedly sham tenders during Sargsyan’s tenure as governor.
On November 5, the Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit with the Anti-Corruption Court seeking to invalidate the tenders and apply the corresponding legal consequences. It also submitted a report of suspected criminal conduct to the Anti-Corruption Committee for assessment.
A separate case concerns four environmentally designated plots totaling 1,054.95 hectares, allegedly leased to Kendanineri Ashkharh (Animal World) LLC for 25 years through a sham tender in November 2009, during Hovakimyan’s tenure.
Prosecutors allege that the arrangements were intended to benefit certain individuals, including former and serving public officials at the time.
The lawsuit challenging the 2009 tender was filed on August 10, 2026, and accepted for examination by the Anti-Corruption Court on August 16.
The proceedings follow earlier prosecutorial action involving the same company. In November 2025, approximately 5,330 hectares of land, valued at $158.263 million, were returned to state ownership.
In another case, the Anti-Corruption Court invalidated a 2008 auction involving a 0.3-hectare plot in Jermuk. The land is expected to return to the community once the ruling becomes legally binding.
The allegations concerning the former governors remain subject to judicial examination.
